Senate Democrats carry President Obama’s water

When President Barack Obama called for a vote on the “Buffett rule,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scheduled it for Tax Day. As Obama barnstorms college universities, the Senate will vote to keep interest rates from doubling on student loans. And as gender issues bubble up in the presidential campaign, pay equity legislation is waiting in the Senate’s wings.

It’s a sharp contrast from much of the past three years, filled with intraparty backbiting as Democrats on Capitol Hill often accused Obama of being detached from legislating, while the White House expressed frustration over a gridlocked Senate.

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But now Senate Democrats are carrying Obama’s water on key issues the president raises on the campaign trail in a bid to court women, Latinos, young voters and independents who could decide the election. With legislating likely to come to a virtual halt before the election, messaging votes are expected to dominate the House and the Senate agenda.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the head of the Senate Democrats’ communications and policy operation, says cooperation between the White House and his caucus has “never been stronger.”

“It resonates much more strongly when both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are singing from the same hymnal and that’s what’s been happening,” Schumer told POLITICO on Monday. “What’s changed is both sides realize we’re attached at the hip. Our candidates depend on the president doing well, and the president depends on Democrats being in line with him.”

Much of the tighter coordination began last fall, dovetailing with a White House staff shakeup as well as a more brass-knuckled partisan strategy for which Obama began to more directly take on Republicans in Congress. But the more partisan strategy opens up the White House to criticisms that it has given up on legislating in favor of election-year point scoring.

“Over the past several months, President Obama has kept a pretty busy schedule for campaign events,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday. “But as the president heads out for more campaign-style events this week, let’s not forget that what he’s actually doing here in Washington is far more important than what he’s saying out on the campaign trail.”

In recent weeks, the White House’s fingerprints have been all over the Senate calendar. The White House asked for its so-called Buffett rule — which would set a minimum 30 percent tax rate for millionaires — to be scheduled just as millions of Americans filed their tax returns. While the measure stood no chance of passing, it served to reinforce the Democratic Party’s mantra of “income inequality” and amounted to a subtle jab at the wealthy Mitt Romney for paying an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent in 2010.

Much of the tighter coordination began last fall, dovetailing with a White House staff shakeup as well as a more brass-knuckled partisan strategy for which Obama began to more directly take on Republicans in Congress. But the more partisan strategy opens up the White House to criticisms that it has given up on legislating in favor of election-year point scoring.

Well it's about time that the President understands that bipartisanship cooperation (and oxymoron these days) with the Repuggies is useless. The Repugs will do everything in their power to obstruct any progress, then blame the President and the Dems in congress.

It's an old trick, but it doesn't have any staying power anymore. The American voters sees the obstruction and they hate it.

With the Republican controlled congress's Approval rate at 8%, it looks bad for the Repuggie obstructionist.

It's difficult to accomplish anything when 2/3rd's of America’s Legislative Institutions conspire to block everything “Passed” in the People’s House!

If the Repuggies would send a bill that wasn't full of WingNut ideologic claptrap the Senate might give it a vote. But why waste time discussion a bill that couldn't get enough votes to pass, and even if it could, the Repuggies in the Senate would FILIBUSTER it.

If your taxes are zero, you'll need a job. LOL We can't do without money...it's called the domino effect. American history is starting to repeat itself. The rich get richer, and the poor poorer. It's called reinvestment. That doesn't include jobs. And if it is a job, the qualifications are huge, and the money is scarce for the lower levels. Look at IBM...it used to be a great company. Not anymore. It never fired anyone in the 70s They had great Christmas parties for their employees at all levels. Since Reagan, who lowered the tax rates for the rich, it's been ridiculous. Regulation actually keeps a good country flow. Under GW Bush they got fat, greedy and lazy going abroad for cheaper services. That is what is doing us in. If you hate Obama then you better stop watching Fox News and listening to Rush B. Talk about slander. I just shake my head. I don't think so. Obama/Biden2012

Senate Dems are carrying Obama's torrent of gibbering economic illiteracy, fiscal irresponsibility, tax and spendaholics, train-wreck energy and healthcare policies to it's logical conclusion. Of course that has produced a predictable result, of sub-two percent average economic growth, a real permanent, a 20 percent under/unemployment rate and now 10 percent inflation. Yet when it comes to carrying water for Obama, the Senate Dems have nothing on the American media.

The booger eating teabagger hick-town blowhards whjo turned the most productive 2011 Congress in history, into the most worthless OBSTRUCTIONIST Congresss, IN HISTORY, had 3 long years to get something done with the MAJORITY Democrats!

But they sabotaged and embarrassed America around the world with their screaming TEARRRR ERRRRR DAAAWWWWWWWNNNNN !!!!! BS.

Humiliating our country and gutting had working Americans 401k retirement funds, with the TEABAGGER DOWNGRADE of Americas international CREDIT RATING !!!!!

So ya.

They had 3 years. They did nothing but delay our recovery.

The great news in this article is.... all the crybaby bedwetting by the rightwing losers you hear now. Thats the sound of them recognizing the path to DOOM they are one.

Because after running on TEAR ERRR DAAAWWWWNNNNN !!!!!

WE THE PEOPLE saw what fanatical rightwing religous jihadists these Republican blowhards are.

Thats why in poll after poll. WE THE PEOPLE rate the TEABAGGERS waaaaay down their within the margin of eroor, of where WE THE PEOPLE rank Communist FIDEL CASTRO !!!!!

So wet your pants all you want. YOU created the mess you are in. WE THE PEOPLE and the rest of the Democrats, who have been turning ttour GOP Bush economic disasters around. BuBYE !!!

Rich people create jobs and Mitt knows that - if our taxes are ZERO will will create jobs all day long - my lawn doesn't mow itself, after all!

Clue me in on why after 8 years of the bush tax cuts we aren't at full employment ? Why don't you get off you donkey and mow your own grass. I saw a letter to the editor from one of your ilk and he was crying because no one would mow his big lawn for $10.00, I got ten bucks to mow lawns when I was a kid, I could by a hamburger & coke, go to a movie, buy candy and still have money in my pocket.

Nice myth. Rich people do not create jobs, consumers do. Demand is down because of wage stagnation and a general lack of living wage jobs. Jobs aren't created unless profits would otherwise suffer. No consumers, no profits.

Clue me in on why after 8 years of the bush tax cuts we aren't at full employment ?

Only a democrat could ask that. obama had a super majority in the senate and the house for the first two years of his reign but used that time to "scout out" vacation spots. I have always wondered if it was Hawaii for Christmas before he got the keys to Air Force One or if it just seems handy now.

This president and vice-president should return all of their pay from last Labor Day to the present. They are supposed to have a job but they are only jet setting around the country and world and take advice from the Chief Monkey Butt Watcher, axlerod. Where are the whackos that would be complaining of pollution, carbon foot prints, etc., if this were a Republican president?

“It resonates much more strongly when both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are singing from the same hymnal and that’s what’s been happening,” Schumer told POLITICO on Monday.

"Both ends" huh. It's clear which "end" is blatting out a tune when Schumer speaks, but then the White House blows a few notes and the wind powered instrument is realigned again. It would seem that a majority of the time, there is only one "end" in use by the liberal/progressive party.